Clockwork
by swagmine
Summary: He came to Japan to fix his brother, but he didn't expect to fix the rest of them. (Aomine and Kagami are brothers!AU)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been planning to write this but I was too lazy. xD The first part will be when Kagami was in America, so he (according to the wiki) is in third or fourth grade.**

**Note: Aomine and Kagami are brothers (well half).**

**...**

_"I don't want a brother," Taiga__ complained to his mom, swinging his feet from his spot on her dresser._

_"Taiga, get down," she said urgently, putting in her earrings as fast as she could. "And I told you to wear something nice!"_

_"I am," he protested._

_"How are those nice?" His mom retorted, referring to his dinosaur house shoes._

_Taiga huffed and jumped down. "When I walk, they light up." He stomped his feet rather indignantly. _

_His mom sighed and squatted down to his height, fixing his collar and hair. "Listen, Taiga." He knew he had to. She was using her 'this-is-very-important-and-I-really-need-you-to-pay-attention' mom voice. "This is very, _very _important to me. If this goes well, you get a brother and a dad."_

_"I don't want a brother," he repeated, pouting. "Or a daddy. I just want you, mommy."_

_"Oh, Taiga..." She pushed her forehead against his and he hugged her neck. He inhaled the warm scent of his mom, and the flowery scent of the perfume she put on. He felt her stroking the back of his head softly and leaned into the touch. The doorbell then went off, making her immediately jerk away. Taiga felt a sharp pang in his chest and bit his lip as the worried look entered her red eyes again._

_"They're here!" She ran her fingers through her long, red-black hair and stood up. "Taiga, speak Japanese, okay? And change out of those slippers!" With that she was gone, stumbling a little in the heels._

_The little boy chewed his lips (something his mom had been trying to tell him not to do, but he stubbornly kept doing it) as he thought about his new 'brother' and 'daddy.' _I don't want a brother, _he thought with a pout. _Or a daddy. _His last dad had made his mom cry and was mean and left him alone and made his heart hurt, just like it was doing now._

_"Taiga!" His mom called. "Come meet our guests!"_

_Frowning a little he stomped out of his mom's room and down the stairs. There were two people he saw; a very tall man and a boy about his size. They both had tanned skin and dark blue hair (which he thought was kind of weird). Both of them had bright blue eyes; the man's were dark and sharp while the boy's were bright._

_His mom looked horrified. "Taiga," she scolded. "I told you not to stomp! It's very rude." He noticed her eyes constantly flickering to the man._

_He bowed a little. "Sorry, mom," he muttered._

_She gave him a tight smile. "Taiga, this is Takeshi-san." The man nodded at him. "And that is Daiki-kun." The other boy grinned at him and hopped over._

_"Hi! Do you like basketball?"_

_"Daiki," the man scolded._

_"Oh! Um, nice to meet you." Daiki bowed at him._

_"Nice to meet you," Taiga echoed, fumbling a little on his Japanese. "And I do like basketball." The boy's eyes seemed to widen and his grin seemed to get bigger._

_"Do you wanna play?!"_

_Takeshi-san walked over and pinched his son's ear. Daiki yelped and Takeshi-san bent down to his son's height and hissed something into his ear. Whatever he said made Daiki stiffen and nod urgently._

_Taiga glared at his mom. 'You're letting crazy people into our family.'_

_She glared back. 'I love him!'_

_'I don't want a brother!'_

_'Well, you're his big brother-'_

_"Big brother?" Taiga interrupted, his eyes shining. A smile broke out onto his face. He faced Daiki eagerly. "Am I your big brother?"_

_"Impossible!" Daiki broke away from his dad. "When's your birthday?!"  
><em>

_"August second!"_

_"August thirty-first-! Ugh!"_

_"Yay!" Taiga cheered. "Call me Nii-san from now on!"_

_"No way!"_

**...**

_It was hard at first, getting used to having two extra people in the house. He had to share his room and bathroom with Daiki. He wasn't fond of it at first, since he normally didn't have to share anything with anybody, just his mom._

_Another issue was that now he had to _share _his mom. Every time he hugged his mom he swore Takeshi-san wanted to throw a shoe at him._

**...**

_"You always hang out with Himuro," Daiki pouted._

_"We're friends," Taiga protested, trying to understand his math homework._

_"Well, you're _my _brother."_

_It was then he realized that the Aomine family were very possessive people._

**...**

_"You aren't proud of me, are you, dad?"_

_"It's hard to be proud of a mistake like you!"_

_Taiga covered his ears and sighed. Daiki seemed to be arguing with Takeshi-san more and more every day._

_"I wish I had gone to live with mom, at least she loves _me!"_  
><em>

_The sound of skin hitting skin echoed through the house as Takeshi-san slapped Daiki. Taiga froze._

_"S-son I'm sorry... I... D-Daiki-"_

_"I hate you." It was quiet, but so loud at the same time. "I hate you, dad."_

_"Daiki!"_

_Footsteps echoed through the house, and the door slammed open and shut. The quiet sound of the lock being turned made Taiga look up._

_His little brother was standing there, his head down. His shoulders were shaking slightly._

_"Daiki..." Taiga approached his brother slowly. He gently touched his shoulder. Daiki flinched at the touch. He winced at the sudden movement of arms being wrapped around him tightly, so tight he thought Daiki would never let go._

_"Don't leave me," Daiki whispered. "Don't hate me. You and mom are all I've got now." Whether it was Daiki's mom or Taiga's mom he was unsure of.  
><em>

_The quiet sound of Daiki crying and Takeshi-san's soft apologies at the door didn't seem like they would ever end._

**...**

_"You're leaving?" Taiga tilted his head at his brother who was packing a suitcase._

_"Yeah." He zipped it. "Some school in Japan accepted me. Teiko, I think."_

_Taiga smiled and walked over. "So you'll be the one leaving me, huh?" Daiki opened his mouth to reply and Taiga kept talking. "Don't worry. Just write and text a lot, okay?"_

_Daiki breathed hard. "You're determined to make me feel super guilty, aren't you?"_

_"Don't use such big words, Daiki," Taiga warned. "Wow. Determined. That's a big one."_

_"You little-!" He tackled his brother and they wrestled on the floor. Normally this ended with someone getting hurt or something breaking, or mom throwing something at them to get them to stop._

_"First time flying?" Taiga asked his brother, panting. Daiki was a little bigger than him and was sitting on him, looking proud._

_Daiki nodded. "Yeah. I'm a little nervous."_

_Taiga rolled his eyes. "I wish you would've told me you were leaving sooner. We could have played basketball one last time."_

_"Why don't you just play with Himuro?" _

_"You're still mad about that?!"_

_Their mom suddenly appeared. "Daiki, your - hey!" A shoe bounced off the top of Daiki's head. "OW!"_

_"I told you no more wrestling!"_

_"He started it!" They both pointed at each other._

_She huffed. "Anyway, your cab will be here soon. I'd love to take you to the airport, but my car broke down and Takeshi..." She trailed off._

_"Kaa-san." Daiki got off of Taiga and grabbed his mom's hands. He was taller than her now, able to look down on her. "If he ever hurts you..." His eyes darkened. "Tell me and I'll be here before you know it."_

_Taiga propped himself up on his elbow and snorted. "If you're bigger than him by then."_

_Daiki kicked his brother's elbow, causing his face to smack into the ground._

**...**

_"Daiki hasn't mailed me in a while," he muttered, scratching his nose. He was getting a little worried. His mom and Takeshi were starting to argue a lot more, and he was wondering when he'd have to intervene and tell his 'dad' to back off._

_His phone suddenly vibrated in his hand and he jumped in surprise and looked down._

Subject: none

From: Daiki Aomine

the only one who can beat me is me

_Taiga tilted his head. "What?"_

**...**

_"You're kicking me out?" Taiga asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise and shock._

_"No, not like that," his mom said. "Me and Takeshi-kun need to settle some things, and we need you out of the house to do it."  
><em>

_"Out of the house?" he repeated. "More like in Japan! Why should I go there anyway?"_

_Her smaller hands were on his, and she held their hands together. "My beautiful little boy," she whispered. "Barely sixteen and already out on his own... Don't stay out late, okay? And stay away from those college girls! You know they fancy you."_

_"What?!" His eyes were wide. "They do?!"_

_"Daiki is there." His mom said quietly. "I'm worried about him. Has he said anything?"_

_"Just that 'the only one who can beat me is me.' It's been three years..."_

_"I contacted his mom. She says they're doing fine, but I'm not so sure."_

_"Don't worry." He put his hands on her shoulders. "I'll find Daiki, okay?"_

**...**

Taiga stretched, groaning in pain as his bones cracked and muscles pulled. The sun was bright in the sky, making him wince. Why was that taxi so small? With a sigh he pulled out a little paper his mom had given him with his address on it. He looked up at the rather large building and whistled a little. _How did mom afford all this?_

He twirled his key in his fingers. Taiga was struggling to keep himself up as he unlocked his door. _Tenth floor... ugh...__  
><em>

As soon as he reached the couch he fell over and passed out.

**...**

When he woke up, the sun was setting and he was feeling adventurous. His mom had told him Daiki was in Tokyo, he just didn't know _where._ Hands in his pockets he walked down the street, humming a little as the wind ruffled his hair and jacket.

Taiga walked for a long time. He wanted to tire himself out as much as possible, since jetlag would surely keep him up for inhuman hours. The faint sound of a basketball hitting the ground made his interest perk up.

Basketball court, huh? And not too far either...

Immediately he stopped himself. _No. _After what happened, how could he ever pick up a basketball again?

A flash of blue hair suddenly appeared. Tanned skin, blue eyes. The ball went through the hoop. Chains rattled. The dribbling started again.

_Is it...?_

Taiga could hardly breath. He stepped forward, his eyes wide.

It was him.

"Daiki...?"

**...**

**This fic will be full of bromance and fluff.**

**Just a warning.**

**Remember to review. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews (:**

**Note: Kagami and Aomine are brothers (well half).**

**Warning: A bit of violence**

* * *

><p><em>He didn't know when or why <em>he started coming to this court.

Aomine just tried to be as far away from home as possible. Away from his mom who tried to understand him, even when he didn't want her to. Away from the judgmental eyes that he appeared to be aloof of, but really was making his insides turn. Especially from Tetsu and Momoi. He knew he was hurting them, but he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

"Daiki?"

Someone said his name.

Aomine lifted his head in surprise, holding the basketball that suddenly weighed a ton in his palm. The voice was oddly familiar in his ears. Really familiar. Scowling a little at the idiot who dared to call him by his first name, he turned his head to see who the victim of his wrath would be.

His eyes widened.

"Taiga?"

Standing behind the chain link fence was his brother. The familiar warm red eyes and bright grin.

"I didn't think finding you would be this easy!" His brother opened the gate and walked in, patting Aomine's shoulder. Kagami then frowned at him, but the lack of anger made it seem more like a pout. "Why haven't you been mailing me? I've been mailing you, but I don't know if you got it. Geez, you really had me and mom worried..." His pout faded into a concerned look. "What happened? And what does 'the only one who can beat me is me' mean?"

At that Aomine scowled. Kagami had been resting his hand on his shoulder, and Aomine shrugged it off rather abruptly. Kagami stepped back a bit, surprised at the sudden movement. The basketball had fallen out of Aomine's hand at his action and rolled away. He ignored the pain in his chest at Kagami's hurt look.

"Don't act so familiar with me, _Kagami._" He sneered at his brother.

Kagami's eyes widened. "Daiki? It hasn't been that long, you should remember me. I'm your brother, remember?" He moved to touch Aomine's shoulder again, but Aomine jerked away. An aggressive gleam entered his eyes.

"Stop calling me Daiki. And I don't have a brother, Kagami." He moved to pass Kagami, but there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder.

"Daiki, are you okay?" His brother asked gently, his red eyes scanning his face. At that moment, Aomine wanted to drop the cold act and hug his brother and tell him everything, that _no, _he was not okay. But he _couldn't. _Not after what his so called 'brother' had done to him.

"I said..." Aomine's right hand formed a fist. _"Don't touch me!"_ He felt his fist connect with Kagami's cheek. Warm, cruel satisfaction went through his body. Kagami let out a yelp and stumbled backwards, pressing a hand to his face in shock.

"D-Daiki..."

"You left her," Aomine spat. "You left mom with that monster. I can't believe I trusted you." Aomine cracked his right hand and sneered at Kagami again. "Don't worry. I didn't use my full strength, so you should be fine." With that, he stalked away. He hated the feeling of how much his hand burned from hurting his brother, hated the guilt that wormed itself deep into his gut.

**...**

"Ow..."

Taiga massaged his cheek, wincing a bit. He had iced it last night, but it had still swollen up and was extremely painful to touch. He felt numb, though. Daiki's words had stung the most, hurt more than getting punched. When was his brother that strong? When did that cold, arrogant look enter his eyes? The Daiki he knew... his eyes were bright and shined like stars. But this Daiki... his eyes sent chills down Taiga's spine. He gripped the sides of the sink, glaring deep into his reflection's eyes.

"I'm going to fix him," he declared. Taiga remembered that Daiki had stalked out of the court and left his basketball. If he saw Daiki again, he could return it and make his little brother talk. His mom had been worried sick, saying that the next time she saw Daiki she'd beat him to death with a shoe. She had even pondered over making him come back to America.

_'No, mom,' _he had sent. _'I have to do this. Deal with Takeshi-san, okay?'_

His stomach grumbled loudly, causing him to grunt and clutch it in pain. Taiga sprinted to the kitchen, nearly slipping on the rather slick floor. He yanked open the fridge eagerly, only for his face to drop. The fridge was empty, save for a half-empty water bottle.

"Grocery shopping later," he mumbled. His mom would be supplying him with money, insisting he was too young for a job. In return he promised her perfect grades and responsibility.

He checked his pockets for money, seeing that he had enough to go out and eat. Wasn't there a place around here called Maji Burger?

**...**

Due to the lack of money, Taiga was only able to get half of his normal mountain of burgers. "I'm gonna starve," he mumbled. At least he didn't get any shocked or looks of disbelief like usual. He unwrapped a burger slowly and sighed, taking a bite.

"..."

There was someone sitting across from him.

"!"

Kagami choked in surprise, staring in shock at a light-blue haired boy. He was sipping on a milkshake and gazing at Kagami innocently.

"H-how long have you been there?!" Kagami demanded after recovering from nearly dying. The boy sighed and put his milkshake down. He was pale, like a ghost, and had scarily blank blue eyes.

"The whole time." He blinked at Kagami. "I was sitting here first. I suppose you can sit here too."

Kagami frowned at the boy before taking a burger from his pile and sliding it over. "Here," he said. "You look like the wind could blow you away."

"...Thank you." He unwrapped it rather slowly and took a small bite. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. What is yours?"

He grinned at the smaller boy. "I'm Kagami Taiga! Nice to meet you!" He dipped his head in an attempt to be polite.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kagami-kun." Kagami could have sworn the boy was smiling.

**...**

Aomine stalked to his room, slamming the door shut. His mom was sucking faces with another guy. When he had walked in, she had gasped and looked shocked.

"D-Daiki," she stammered. The guy kept nuzzling her neck. "I... you're home early..."

"Third time this week, mom." He didn't look at her.

_How could I punch him? _Aomine smacked a hand over his eyes and pulled his hair with the other. _Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

But Kagami left mom with his dad. His stupid, stuck-up, idiotic, selfish, cruel dad... The list could go on and on and on. Honestly, he didn't know why he was so mad. Was it that Kagami had finally showed up after all these years? All these years of feeling alone. _Being _alone. And suddenly _he _came.

"Why now," Aomine whispered, covering his face. "Why now..."

* * *

><p><strong>In Aomine's point of view he's going to refer to Taiga as Kagami until he stops being mad at him. xP<strong>

**Remember to review! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Kagami's last name is supposed to be Aomine but of course I made a mistake and said he went by Kagami. *facepalm* Since this is in Kagami's pov he's going to go by Taiga. C: I'm not going by the anime/manga's plot because I'm too lazy to rewatch the anime and all that stuff...**

**Note: Kagami and Aomine are brothers (well half).**

* * *

><p><em>"My name is Aomine Taiga. <em>_Please _take care of me." Taiga bowed to the class, slightly nervous by the curious eyes on him.

"Please have a seat by Kuroko-kun, Aomine-kun." His sensei smiled at him and extended a hand at Kuroko, who had raised his hand for Taiga to notice him. He nearly missed the blue-haired boy. He walked over obediently and sat down, nodding at Kuroko who blinked at him before nodding back. "Class, open your textbooks to page..."

Time seemed to move agonizingly slow after that. The teacher talked and talked. Taiga was sure he dozed off at least ten times. He had overslept, nearly missed the bus. He only had a slice of bread for breakfast, (how cliche...) sprinting for the bus which was about to leave. If the bus left without him, he would have turned around and went back home. As if he would walk to school...

"...-kun. Aomine-kun."

His head shot up. Did his sensei call on him?! Panicking, he sat up straight and looked straight at him, even when his eyes were focused on the book and not at anybody. His voice was slow and monotone, as if even his own words were boring him.

"Aomine-kun."

Taiga's ears perked and he looked to see Kuroko looking at him expectantly.

"You didn't tell me your last name was Aomine," he whispered. His words were so soft that he strained to hear the other boy.

"Ah, um..." He laughed softly and patted the back of his head. "Sorry... it's a long story."

"It's okay." Kuroko seemed to smile softly at him and looked back at the boring history book again. "I have... had a friend named Aomine-kun." His blank eyes seemed to soften with a sad look, a look that made Taiga's heart both break and ignite with an angry fire. What did his brother do to Kuroko?!

"Did he bully you?!" Taiga struggled to keep his voice low, even though it wanted to get loud with anger.

"Excuse me." A stern voice made him stiffen again. He turned toward the sensei slowly. "Aomine-kun, pay attention please." He went back to reading the book in monotone. Taiga's ears burned with embarrassment, and he ducked his head as a few people snickered at his misfortune. Already in trouble on the first day...

"Sorry." Kuroko's lip twitched. Taiga tched. He didn't really sound sorry, though.

**...**

Taiga nearly lost an arm and a leg getting his lunch. _Japanese lunch time rush, _he decided mentally, rubbing at the scratches on his arms and legs. _I think someone bit me. _Since the lunch room was too noisy, and he didn't want to sit in the classroom. The stares were too much, and the comments about his eyebrows hurt. His sensei had assigned Kuroko to help him around school, but he lost him at the lunch room. The roof seemed to be the best place to relax.

A voice made him jump. "I didn't mean to scare you, Aomine-kun," Kuroko said. He was holding a bento box and looking down at him.

"You didn't scare me," Taiga huffed, pouting a little and glaring in another direction.

"May I sit here?"

"Yeah, sure."

Kuroko sat down, crossing his legs and opening the bento box. Taiga felt his stomach rumble a bit. He regretted running from the lunch room after managing to buy a pitiful looking meat bun. How would this little thing satisfy him?

"Is that all you're having for lunch, Aomine-kun?" He got a sad nod in response. "You can share with me," he offered, holding the box out to him.

"Really?" Taiga's eyes brightened and he smiled. "Thanks, Kuroko."

Kuroko had a extra pair of chopsticks with him for some reason and handed it to him. ("Ugh, I forgot how to use these...") Taiga struggled to pick up a piece of meat. Kuroko watched the scene in amusement.

"So," Taiga began. Kuroko had eaten a little bit of bento before pushing it to him, insisting he was full. Taiga had finished it off, feeling guilty. Mentally he promised to make Kuroko a bento in thanks. "You know Aomine, huh?"

"Yes." Kuroko nodded, feeling a faint pang in his chest. "We used to play basketball together."

"Basketball, hm..." He hummed a little, gazing off into the sky.

"We didn't really get along with each other." Kuroko kept talking. "But in basketball, we did." He looked up at the sky too. "Do you know Aomine-kun?" The phantom had a feeling that he didn't just _know _Aomine...

"Know him," Taiga repeated with a snort. He looked down from the sky and locked eyes with Kuroko. "I don't just know him." He closed his eyes and smiled. "We're brothers."

Kuroko felt his eyes widen. Aomine had a brother? His light never said much about his family, just saying that he had a mom and a dad who lived in America. He never mentioned having a brother at all. And this Aomine and the other didn't really look alike.

Rather abruptly, the bell went off.

They both stood up, Taiga stretching and sighing.

"Here." Kuroko looked at the meat bun the taller boy was offering to him. "Tomorrow, I'll bring you a bento, okay?"

Once again, he felt himself smiling, which for some reason he found himself doing a lot more often now. "Okay." Kuroko opened the rooftop door and paused, turning to look at Taiga.

"Aomine-kun."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like basketball?"

Silence.

Taiga blinked, surprised at the question, and then laughed. Kuroko watched him, slightly shocked at the sudden laughter.

"No, Kuroko," he said at last. "I don't like basketball."

**...**

"Dai-chan!"

Aomine groaned, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Dai-chaaan!"

He felt a presence by his side and huffed in irritation, moving his arm and glaring up at Satsuki.

"Ugh, Satsuki." He rolled over, his back to the pink-haired girl. "What is it?"

"The bell went off," she huffed. "Are you coming back to class?"

"No," Aomine answered sharply. She blinked in surprise at his tone. He sounded ruder than normal.

"What about practice?"

"No. When do I ever go to practice?"

"What about-"

"Dammit, Satsuki." He stood up, glaring down at her. "You talk too much. Just leave me alone."_  
><em>

"Dai-chan," Satsuki said softly, putting an hand on his arm. "What happened?"

His eyes widened a bit. "What?"

Her eyes were soft. "Something happened recently," she murmured. "You can tell me, Dai-chan." Sometimes he hated how observant she was, how easily she could read him and know what was wrong. Just like _him._

Aomine yanked his arm away. Satsuki backed up, her pink eyes wide with hurt. "There's nothing wrong with me, Satsuki," he snapped. "And stop calling me that. You know I hate it."

She didn't say anything, just watching him carefully. Letting out a noise of irritation he started to stalk off when she called him out again.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, Daiki."

Aomine paused. He wasn't looking at her, but he could feel her worry. Worry for _him. _Like he deserved it. Tilting his head toward her slightly, he answered. "Like I would." He knew he hurt her. He had always hurt people, realizing it too late. Realizing it when they left him, leaving him all alone.

"Where are you going?"

The door opened, feeling heavy against his hand.

"Somewhere."

He hated turning his back on her, though he'd never admit it. But it was too late now. Like always.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Aomine was waiting.

Waiting for her to turn her back on him, like he had done to Tetsu.

How Aomine had turned his back on Kagami, leaving him hurt at the basketball court. It was then he remembered that he had left his ball there. _Ugh. _If he lost this one, his mom probably wouldn't buy him another.

_"Get your grades up first," _she would scold.

_Like you care,_ he would think, but never say.

If it wasn't there, he could just steal a ball from the team. They had plenty to spare. But still, he could stop by the court and see if someone hadn't stolen it.

* * *

><p><strong>Next chapter: Aomine being mean to his brother. :C<strong>

**Remember to review :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews :D**

**Note: Aomine and Kagami are brothers (well half).**

**...**

_Taiga sighed as a breeze ruffled _his hair, the strands tickling his eyes and face. Brushing it out of his face he glanced around, the ball tucked under his arm. Right after school he had come to the basketball court, still wearing his uniform. His bag had been rather heavy so he put it on the ground before sitting down, waiting. He didn't know why he came here, but something told him to. Humming he spun the ball with his fingers, gazing up at the sky. Taiga looked up at the streaks of orange and yellow. The colors reminded him of days in America, where he and Daiki would play basketball until the sun set, and Takeshi-san would have to come and force them to come home. At the thought of Daiki's dad he frowned a little, wondering how his step-dad was doing. He closed his red eyes, remembering the last time he saw the man.

_"Taiga," Takeshi-san said, placing a large hand on his shoulder. Taiga felt his heart break a little at the look in his eyes; they were full of pain and dull. "If you see Daiki again... tell him I love him, and that I'm so, so sorry."_

_Smiling sadly at him, he put a hand over Takeshi-san's. "I will," he promised._

_The man gave him a broken smile before turning and walking back into the dark room he had crept out of, the door shutting behind him. Taiga looked down at his feet. After Daiki went back to Japan, Takeshi-san had become the opposite of his normal self. He was always in his room, and only came out to eat or sit on the couch and space out, his eyes blank. He started drinking a week after Daiki left._

_"Takeshi-kun was fired from the force," his mom had told him one morning after he discovered a empty beer bottle in the back of the fridge. "I'm... I'm worried about him, Taiga." Her eyes had been full of fear and worry. "I tried to get him to stop drinking, but he won't. I catch him in the bathroom and behind the apartment building drinking, and I'm worried one day he'll get behind the wheel and..." She didn't finish, instead biting her finger._

_And Taiga had wiped tears from his mom's eyes, wondering just how broken their family could get._

"Oi."

His eyes opened slowly when he heard a voice. He didn't look up, his eyes focused on the blurry sight of his feet. Did he fall asleep...?

"Oi." The voice got louder, and Taiga looked up, staring into midnight blue eyes. He blinked a few times.

"Daiki?"

"Tch." His brother snorted and got closer, his hands in his pockets. "That's my ball." He wouldn't look directly at Taiga, his eyes either on the ball or on the ground.

"Oh, yeah.." Taiga stood up, his muscles and bones aching after being in such a uncomfortable position for so long. "I wanted to give it back to you... Aomine." His last name was unfamiliar on his tongue, so used to calling him by his first name.

Something flashed in his brother's eyes, a look that made his heart ache. Then the look was gone, replaced by that cold arrogance. "Well, what're you waiting for," he sneered, reaching a hand out. "Give it back."

"Ah..." Taiga pulled the ball closer. "I will. But..." He hesitated. He didn't want his brother to leave again... It had been so long, and he knew once he gave Daiki the ball back he'd turn around and walk out of his life. Taiga had to_ do _something, because that aggressive light was entering Daiki's eyes again.

"But what?" Daiki growled, stepping forward. Instinctively he moved back, feeling the fence press against him. The hurt look flashed in his eyes. "You wanna play one-on-one or something?" He sneered again. "I'll beat you, Kagami. The only one who can beat me is me." The words made Taiga's eyes widen and he stared, his eyes blank.

Then...

Taiga burst into laughter. So much that he had to bend over, holding the ball between right his arm and hip, the other clenching his gut which was starting to hurt from the laughter.

"W-what are you laughing at?" Daiki looked both shocked and annoyed, his normally half-closed eyes instead wide as he looked at his brother.

He wiped tears from his eyes, blowing air through his nose after his laughing fit. "'The only one who can beat me is me,'" he said mockingly, rolling his eyes and chuckling a little. "That's a stupid catchphrase. Is that what you tell people, Daiki?" He knew he had said something wrong immediately when the air suddenly stilled.

Silence.

Daiki stared at Taiga, his eyes narrowed.

"Give me my ball, Kagami," he said at last, his tone soft.

"Aomine-"

"Now."

"Daiki-"

"I said now, dammit!" Daiki lunged at Taiga.

He knew right off the bat that Daiki wasn't mad at Taiga for insulting his 'catchphrase.' There was a deeper meaning behind the words, but Taiga didn't know what the meaning was. However, there were more important things to worry about, like how tight Daiki was gripping his collar, and how he got a up close look at Daiki's blue eyes which were glowing with anger right now. He didn't want to hurt Daiki. No, he could never imagine hurting his little brother. But fear was worming its way into his heart, along with a bit of sorrow. Sorrow because his brother was broken. He could tell by how behind the anger was desperation, but what he was desperate for Taiga had no idea.

"I love basketball, Kagami," Daiki whispered, his face close. "Every since I was a kid, I played. I played and practiced, and do you know what happened? I'm _good. _No, I'm not just good at it, I'm _perfect__._" His eyes gleamed. "But because I'm perfect, Kagami, I'm so much better than everyone else. I win every match, Kagami. I've never lost before. Do you know what I want? A game so close I'm not sure if I'll win or lose. I want an _equal, _Taiga." Taiga stared into his eyes, his own wide. Mostly with surprise that his brother had called him by his first name. "I don't know when I started yawning before going to a game, Taiga. Maybe because I know I'll win, that I won't even have to try. What I want more than anything else, Taiga..." He trailed off. "I want my brother back. I was all alone."

Taiga's eyes softened. "I'm here now, Daiki," he murmured, bringing his hands up to hold the tense hands grabbing his collar.

"But you weren't here," Daiki hissed, trying to pull away. "You weren't here when I needed you the most." His eyes then widened. "You left mom with dad, right? How could you leave her with that bastard?!" His voice was rising again.

"She knows what she's doing, Daiki." He tried to calm down his brother. "I trust her. You should, too."

"I do, Taiga," Daiki said numbly. "But I don't trust _him._"

"Here, Daiki." He picked up the basketball that had fallen when Daiki lunged, and had rolled away, forgotten. "Here's your ball." Taiga smiled at him warmly. "I'm glad you're good at basketball, Daiki. I just want... I just want to see you smile again." His eyes were sad again. "Like you did when we were kids," he added. "You smiled all the time back then, but since we met again, you haven't."

Daiki looked at him, his eyes narrowed. He then sighed, looking irritated. "Look, Kagami." He frowned. "_Taiga. _I'm hungry, so I'm gonna go home now." Taiga frowned at Daiki's rather abrupt and rude attempt at leaving.

"Oh, no you don't." Taiga grabbed his arm and smirked before pointing at his right cheek. "I want to spend the day with you. Brotherly bonding. And you owe me, because you punched me in the face."

He received a annoyed scowl in response. "You don't have to bring that up, you know," Daiki looked slightly embarrassed, scratching his nose.

"I don't have any food at my house, so we're going shopping, too." Taiga then scratched his own nose, chuckling. "I left my wallet at home, so we'll have to stop by there..."

"Bakagami," Daiki deadpanned.

"H-hey!" Taiga cried. "Don't call me that!"

He then whacked him over the head, laughing as Daiki yelped and looked hurt, glaring at him. Taiga had a feeling he had only reassured Daiki, because he knew that he had barely solved his brother's problem. A storm was in the distance, getting closer by the second. But Taiga would save his brother this time. He never wanted to see that broken look in his little brother's eyes again, that pain and desperation that broke his heart. _Don't worry, Daiki, _Taiga thought as his brother complained about how far away his apartment was. _I won't leave you again.__  
><em>

"Oh, and Daiki," Taiga hummed. His eyes were dark and a demonic aura surrounded him. "If you ever call me Kagami again, I'll make sure you won't ever pick up a basketball again."

"Y-yes, Nii-san," Daiki stuttered, inching away from his brother.

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><p><strong>for the next chapter or two there probably won't be any angst. and next chapter, another miracle will appear. :D<strong>

**Thanks for reading! C:**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, they're much appreciated (: And since Aomine made up with Kagami he's going to call him Taiga now heh.**

**Note: Aomine and Kagami are brothers (well half).**

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><p><em>Daiki didn't know about Taiga, <em>but he was feeling rather awkward around the other. He didn't know if Taiga forgave him for punching him in the face, but by the way he was acting (and how much of an airhead he was) he guessed he had. After dropping off their stuff at Taiga's apartment and grabbing his wallet they walked to the grocery store, Taiga talking about random stuff that he honestly didn't really care about. When they reached the store he just stood by his brother, hands in his pockets and hunched over with a scowl on his face. Like any teenager who's mom had forced them to go to the store with them.

"Daiki, don't slouch," Taiga scolded. He wasn't entirely looking at him, most of his attention on the grocery list in his hand. "It's not good for your back."

"I'm not," he muttered. He didn't like how warm his ears felt from Taiga's words. Taiga huffed in reply.

"Then what are you doing now?" Taiga retorted, glaring at him. "Seriously, you're just like a kid. Do you want me to buy you some candy?"

"Shut up." He got a laugh in reply.

His brother started to walk off, humming to himself. "Come on. I think the dairy aisle is this way." Daiki let out a exasperated sigh and trailed behind him. Honestly, his words felt gruff and stiff compared to Taiga, who didn't seem to feel the awkward that was floating around in the air. There were so many things he wanted to ask Taiga, but he wasn't sure when to ask them, or how Taiga would feel. _I feel like he has stuff he wants to ask me too._ He was rather surprised at how quickly his brother forgave him. Normally you wouldn't want to talk to someone who punched you in the face and said you weren't their brother anymore.

"How come you have so much money anyway?" Daiki asked him, trotting to catch up. "Did you get a job?" Their basket looked rather full. Taiga blinked and switched hands to put one on his hip.

"Why?" Taiga smirked. "If this is your way of asking for money, it's a no."

Offended, Daiki hissed at him. "My mom gives me money."

At that, Taiga frowned. He slowed his pace down and ran a hand over the dairy section's freezers. "I forgot to ask," he said. He yanked open a freezer. "How are things going with you and your mom anyway?"

Daiki stiffened. "She's not important." He felt his eyebrows draw down into a scowl.

"You're going to get wrinkles if you frown all the time," Taiga pointed out, pulling out a carton of eggs and inspecting them. "I know you won't tell me know, but you'll have to eventually. It's not good to bottle up emotions like that."

His scowl faded into a exasperated expression. Taiga was the type of person to put aside his problems and help others. Daiki both admired and hated him for that. He could be in pain, _suffering, _but it didn't matter if he could help someone else. "You have room to talk," he mumbled. He didn't know if Taiga heard him but the soft hum made him roll his eyes. "Are you done yet? It's cold in this part of the store."

"No, I'm not done. How about you go be useful and find some sugar?"

Daiki glared, but did as he was told.

He stalked through the store, ignoring the curious glances of people. "Stupid Taiga," he grumbled. "Stupid sugar..." He didn't even know _where _the sugar was. Was there a sugar aisle? After wandering around and nearly giving an old lady a heart attack from his irritated aura, he managed to find the sugar. As he reached for it, he realized that someone else was reaching for it as well.

"Uh, sorry," the person said. Their voice squeaked and they coughed. "Sorry," they repeated in a deeper voice.

He let out a noise and inspected the person carefully. Their hair was covered with a beanie and had a hood on their head, so he couldn't see their face, or their eyes behind a pair of sunglasses.

"Do I know you?" Daiki pushed his face closer. He (he guessed so by the deep voice) backed up.

"Uh, no. The sugar is yours, Aominech-!" He covered his mouth.

"Kise?" An eyebrow rose and he leaned back, frowning at him. "What're you doing here?"

"Ah!" The model shot a hand out and covered Daiki's mouth. "Shh! Not so loud! They could be watching..." He looked around suspiciously before looking up at Daiki dramatically. "Can I follow you home?"

"What?!"

"Shhh!"

Daiki glared at him. "No, you can't!"

"But Aominecchi," Kise whined. "The fangirls found out I had a photoshoot here and were crowding outside the studio, so I tried to sneak out back and they followed me, so I ran here and they could be _watching_..." He shivered. "And waiting..."

"I really don't care." Daiki grabbed the sugar off the shelf and glanced down at Kise. "Why do you need sugar in the first place?"

"I was gonna eat it," Kise replied, sounding guilty. He looked at his feet. "I'm sad..."

"You're an idiot." Daiki sighed. "Just... come on."

"Am I going home with Aominecchi? Yay~!"

"You're not coming home with me!"

**...**

Taiga stared at the two choices on the wall. There was low fat butter and regular butter. Low fat wasn't half the price the regular butter was, but the regular butter had a discount if you bought two... He put his fingers on his chin thoughtfully.

"...and then I posed like _this, _and they were like 'Wow, Kise, that's perfect! It really brings out your eyes!' And I was like 'Really? That's so nice of you to say!' And I smiled and one of the ladies that did my makeup fainted!"

His ears perked at the unfamiliar voice talking quite loudly.

"Will you shut up? I don't care about your stupid model stories!"

He turned his head curiously at Daiki's voice. He sounded annoyed. Taiga sighed. If he didn't do something, Daiki would probably punch the other guy in the face. Grabbing the low fat butter he turned around to see Daiki rounding the corner with a slightly shorter teen following him eagerly. He had blonde hair, a rather pretty face, and golden brown eyes. He was grinning in amusement.

"Is Aominecchi jealous that I'm a model and he's not?" The blonde teased.

"I'm not!" Daiki looked up, his eyes locking with Taiga's. "Ugh, Taiga, can we leave? This idiot wants to come home with me-"

"Eh?" Taiga glanced over at the blonde who interrupted. "Aominecchi? You didn't introduce me to your friend. How rude!" His voice got higher in the end and Taiga winced at the wail.

"This is my brother," Daiki hissed. "Aomine Taiga. Go back to Kanagawa, Kise!"

"You have a brother?!" Kise repeated, putting his fingers in his hair in shock. "This is so much to take in at once!" He then launched himself at Taiga, grabbing his hands in his. "I'm Kise Ryouta!" He shook his hand eagerly, his mouth wide in a grin. "I'm a model. It's nice to meet you!" Taiga's body shook from the force of the shake.

"Uh, it's nice to meet you too," he managed to say.

"I'm not even going home," Daiki huffed. "I'm going home with him." He jerked his head at Taiga. "Right?"

Taiga tilted his head. "Yeah, um, I guess..."

"A sleepover?" Kise's eyes were wide. "I wanna go! I wanna go!" He grabbed Taiga's wrist and started dragging him away.

"W-wait," Taiga gasped. "I haven't paid yet!"

Daiki followed, grumbling in irritation.

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><p><strong>the previous chapter was full of long detailed paragraphs and here's this tiny thing lol<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews :D I want to make a fluffy chapter so there'll be fluff at the end hehe**

**Warning: lazily proofread**

**Note: **Aomine and Kagami are brothers (well half).****

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><p><em>"So, you two used to play together at Teiko?" T<em>aiga asked with a slight smile. The hyper model had drug him home, chattering on and on about how excited he was to get to know Aomine-kun better, and how he couldn't wait to tell him about his basketball days with Daiki. Daiki had stomped after them, looking irritated as Kise kept talking and talking. Taiga ignored the pang in his chest at how happy Kise looked talking about basketball, a sport he once loved.

Kise sat on the counter, swinging his legs back and forth and smiling widely. Daiki was hunched over in a chair, pouting a little. Kise looked amazed at a pouting Aomine Daiki. "Daiki, what did I tell you about slouching?" He had his back to Daiki, but he just _knew _he was slumped down.

Daiki grunted in response, and Kise giggled a little.

"Yes!" Kise said happily, sniffing in the delicious aroma of food cooking. "We all played together in middle school!"

Taiga paused and glanced over at him curiously. "We?"

"Mhm!" He nodded and started to talk again. "The Generation of Miracles! Aominecchi, Murasakibaracchi, Midorimacchi, Akashicchi, and Kurokocchi!" Kise's eyes started to sparkle. Taiga started to ask who the 'Generation of Miracles' were and why Daiki was involved, but Kise swept on."I wish you could have seen Kurokocchi play! His passes are amazing!"

"Kurokocchi...?" The red-head murmured to himself, returning to the fish in the frying pan. (He was rather confused at the 'cchi' part.) That name sounded familiar...

"Kise," Daiki complained. "Don't add that stupid 'cchi' to our names. It's so annoying." _Oh. _Taiga nearly burned himself.

"Kuroko?" He wondered out loud. "Kuroko Tetsuya?" Daiki and Kise seemed to jolt. The name got a different response from both of them. Kise seemed to explode with excitement, vibrating with happiness. Daiki, however, let out a 'tch' and slumped over again.

"You know him?! Do you go to Kurokocchi's school?!" His eyes were starting to sparkle again...

"Oh, um, yeah. We're in the same class." The way Kise was hopping on his spot on his counter, he looked like he'd fall off and hurt himself. "Oi, stop that. You might fall."

The model didn't seem to pay any attention to his warning. "I wish Kurokocchi would've come to play with me instead of Seirin," Kise whined. Taiga didn't know why, but that made him jerk and nearly burn himself again. _Pay attention, idiot. _"He's wasting his talent there! He should go to a strong school like Kaijo." Taiga narrowed his eyes, seeing the model's eyes narrow in disdain for a moment and his lip curl into a sneer that didn't fit him at all. It was there for only a second, disappearing almost immediately. His happy sunshine expression appeared again. Taiga was slightly disturbed. "Seirin is weak anyway. Aominecchi, did you hear about what happened to them last year at Interhigh?" He seemed to be amused, his tone lighter.

"Pft." Daiki snorted at him. "They were _crushed. _I remember hearing about it last year, but I didn't know it was Seirin." He started to pick dirt from underneath his nails. "I'm surprised they made it that far. They suck."

Kise then pouted. "I remember visiting Kurokocchi," he said. "He declined my offer, of course! I wish he'd join before Interhigh comes up..." His brother glanced up at Kise with a slightly curled lip.

"Why would he play with you?" Daiki asked him, sounding scornful. "Your light is too dim."

"What does that even mean?!" Kise wailed. "Aomine-kun, Aominecchi is being mean to me!" He started to whine at Taiga but paused, seeing the taller boy's expression.

Taiga looked horrified, his eyes wide in shock and horror.

"Taiga?" Daiki looked slightly worried for his brother.

"Did Aomine-kun burn himself?!" Kise jumped off the counter and started to run over.

"How..." Taiga started. Kise froze. "How can you _say _those things?!" His eyes were sharp with anger as he glared at both of them. Daiki winced as his brother's red eyes sliced through him, full of disappointment.

"But Aomine-kun..." Kise whimpered. "They're weak..."

"There's no such thing as a weak team," he snapped. "There are _strong _teams, and there are teams that are _stronger _than them. You played with Kuroko in Teiko, right?" He didn't wait for an answer. "So you guys were friends, right? How can you say such awful things about his team behind his back?" Taiga was even more disturbed at the fact that they _didn't look sorry at all. _They just looked confused.

Kise looked like a kicked puppy, while Daiki was avoiding his gaze, staring down at his feet.

He sighed in exasperation. "Anybody can be strong," he murmured. "But sometimes, you can be too strong." Taiga turned back to the stove.

The silence was loud.

**...**

Daiki slurped his noodles, loudly and obnoxiously.

Taiga slapped his shoulder. "Don't do that," he scolded. "It's rude!"

Kise laughed as Daiki huffed and slurped his noodles quieter.

Taiga had made a food spread with both Japanese and American food, and the three teenagers sat on the floor, surrounded by the different dishes that smelled _heavenly_. Daiki and Kise had nearly fainted at their first bite.

"T-this is really g-good, Aomine-kun," Kise gasped. He was certainly going to have to run a few extra laps to run off the extra pounds he _knew _he was gaining...

"Thanks, Kise," Taiga hummed. The two boys were stuffing their faces; they both looked cute with their cheeks full. "Whenever you're hungry just stop by, okay?"

"I'd walk from Kanagawa just to taste your food, Aomine-kun!" His eyes were sparkling again, which Taiga found both amusing and weird.

"I sure have missed your food, Nii-san," Daiki said with his mouth full. Normally Taiga would've smacked him in the head for such a gross thing, but instead he let out an amused sound. He remembered the nights when his mother and Takeshi-san would be so exhausted from work, when Daiki would be exhausted from playing street ball all day, when he'd have to cook dinner for his tired family.

"Wait a minute," Taiga growled. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Kise, who stopped eating to look at him.

"Yes, Aomine-kun?" He smiled sweetly.

"Did you skip school just for a photo shoot?!"

Kise's eyes widened.

"Well?!"

"..."

Taiga narrowed his eyes as Kise. "Taking pictures is more important than grades." He looked disappointed and shook his head sadly.

"N-no!" Kise cried desperately, extending his hands towards Taiga. "I-I don't skip!"

"He does skip," Daiki said helpfully, ripping apart a fish. A fire ignited in Taiga's eyes.

"Don't lie to him, Aominecchi!" Kise's voice hitched to a wail as Taiga smacked on the head.

**...**

"Ne, Aomine-kun, where's your bathroom?" Kise asked, standing up and brushing his pants. He wobbled slightly and whined a little at the pain in his legs. His stomach was warm and he patted it, feeling content. Kise hadn't felt this full in a while. Being a model had it's downside - not being able to stuff yourself whenever you wanted.

"Ah," Taiga answered, "down the hall and to the right." Daiki had stretched out, his arms behind his head and eyes closed. He appeared to be sleeping. Kise stood up, patting Taiga's head with a smile, and then walked off. Taiga stood up and stretched, groaning a little as his back popped. He then started picking up the plates, humming to himself. He leaned down to pick up a plate near Daiki when suddenly he moved, one eye popping open. He eyed Taiga lazily before closing it and sighing.

"This was supposed to be brotherly bonding time," Daiki grumbled. Taiga smiled a little. He sounded like he was whining. "But then you invited Kise over."

Taiga let out a soft sound and walked to the kitchen, ignoring Daiki as he complained about stuff he was barely listening to. He then heard footsteps as he dropped the plates in the sink and a heavy weight on his shoulder.

"Daiki," Taiga warned, turning the faucet on.

"Taiga," his brother whined, dragging out the 'a.' "Nii-san."

He puffed out his cheeks. "What?"

Daiki pressed his face into the back of his neck. "I'm tired," he mumbled. "Tuck me in."

Taiga laughed. "Tuck you in?" He repeated, turning off the faucet and facing his brother. "Are you four?" His comment was ignored and his wrist was seized, his brother dragging him back to the living room.

"You should get a kotatsu," Daiki suggested. Mainly because his mom wouldn't buy him one and _really _wanted one.

"Are you buying?" Taiga sat down, leaning his back against the couch and stretching his legs. He frowned a little at the few remaining plates. Keeping a clean house was rather important to him. Daiki yawned and slumped to the floor, resting his head on Taiga's lap.

"Tomorrow's Friday," he said softly. "Do I have to go to school tomorrow?"

Taiga growled at him. "Yes, you _have _to." He pinched Daiki's ear in irritation, making him yelp.

"Nii-san is mean..." His voice was fading away as he dozed off.

Taiga gently ran his fingers through his brother's soft blue hair. "I almost forgot," he whispered. "Takeshi-san said he loves you, Daiki."

**...**

Taiga woke up feeling rather crushed. At some time in the night he had slipped down from leaning on the couch, his head pressed uncomfortably against it. He opened his eyes and tried to move, only to discover that his legs and arms were trapped beneath two rather heavy bodies. Somebody's hair was in his face and he moved his head to get the strands out of his mouth. Blinking, he discovered a few interesting things.

One, he had become the pillow of two teenagers who were not light _at all._

Two, his leg was asleep.

Three... they looked rather cute asleep.

Daiki was snuggled into his side, most of his body on Taiga and pinning his arm to the floor. His legs were curled against his body. His face was against his neck, and Taiga tried not to swallow blue hair. Kise was sleeping on his legs, smiling in his sleep. His grip on his leg was rather... vice. Taiga hoped it wouldn't bruise.

He tried to move. There were a lot of things he had to do, like make Kuroko's bento, do the dishes, go to school...

...

What time is it?

Taiga frantically moved his head, trying to get a glimpse of the kitchen's clock. As he did this, somebody whimpered and tightened their grip on him. He tried to slowly slide out of the two teenager's grip, but they held like glue.

"Nii-san..." His ears pricked and he looked to see Daiki blinking at him sleepily. His hair was mussed from sleep, his eyes glazed and he had a little bit of drool at the corner of his mouth. "Don't go," he mumbled. "Stay... 'ere..." And he fell asleep again.

He promptly gave up on trying to escape, instead sighing sadly and relaxing. He'd just have to be late today.

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><p><strong>the internet told me that aomine was a crybaby when he was younger and that gives me many ideas<strong>

**thank you for reading C:**


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